Eight incredible independent bookshops in Essex which deserve a visit During lockdown, reading provided an emotional crutch for so many of us, offering escape routes to fantasy worlds. But while ordering books online is convenient, nothing compares to the satisfying sensation of thumbing through a paperback in an actual book shop or spending hours studying decorative covers on the shelves. Now shops have reopened, avid readers were encouraged to explore Britain’s beloved bookstores as part of Independent Bookshop Week which ends today. Here, with the help of the Essex Book Festival, we look some the best Essex has to offer.